


Tyrus Week 2018

by Ranger_of_the_Forest



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: M/M, Tyrus - Freeform, Tyrus Week 2018
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-26 04:58:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15656247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ranger_of_the_Forest/pseuds/Ranger_of_the_Forest





	1. CRUSH

TJ knew when it started. From the moment Buffy had pulled Cyrus in front of him, he had been hooked. Seeing him at the swings had only confirmed that he was feeling something he had never felt before in his life. The more time he spent with Cyrus, the more he was convinced he couldn’t live without him. 

He never would’ve agreed to play Buffy one on one if it wasn’t for Cyrus suggesting it. He never would have accepted his defeat so graciously either, he thought as the three of them exited the building. 

“Well, I’ll see you guys around.” TJ said.

To his surprise, Buffy stuck out her hand.

“Good game, Kippen.” 

He shook it, and almost had to smile at how tight her grip was. Buffy never let up.

TJ turned to Cyrus, and was about to shake his hand too, when the other boy stepped forward and hugged him. TJ froze for a second before responding. Cyrus’s body fit in his like they were made for each other. All too quickly it was over, and Cyrus pulled away. He smiled at TJ, who felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest.

“See you, Underdog,” he said before turning around.

TJ started walking away, but something moved him to turn and look back at Cyrus. His eyes met the other boy’s. Cyrus smiled at him. TJ wanted to walk back and tell Cyrus how he felt, but how could he be sure that he felt the same way? He forced himself to face forward and keep walking. Maybe one day he would be brave enough to tell Cyrus Goodman how he felt about him.

.~.

Cyrus didn’t know when he started. He couldn’t pin it down to one moment; they had so many, after all. All he knew was that he woke up one morning and felt something he hadn’t felt since Jonah Beck. 

Cyrus didn’t want to fall in too deep this time. It had taken a lot for him to get over Jonah, and he didn’t know if he could handle another disappointment so soon. Besides, they were just flutters. They didn’t mean anything definite.

He told himself that as he got Buffy and TJ to play one on one. He told himself that as he watched TJ accept his defeat more graciously than he ever would have in the past. And he told himself that as they walked out the door. As he watched TJ and Buffy shake hands. 

Cyrus knew what he had to do. Instead of taking TJ’s hand, he wrapped his arms around the other boy. It only lasted a moment, but Cyrus felt as if he was floating. He was surprised he didn’t spontaneously combust with how fast his heart was beating.

He continued to stare at TJ even as he walked away. Why were his crushes always doomed to be unrequited? Someone as funny and kind and cool as TJ would never like him.

But then...TJ looked back. Cyrus felt his heart skip a beat. He smiled as he met the other boy’s gaze. Maybe there was hope after all.


	2. CONFESSION

“Hey, Underdog!” 

Cyrus felt his heart skip a beat.

“No so scary basketball guy!” 

They clasped hands, and Cyrus immediately felt his hand start to sweat. He pulled his hand away and discreetly rubbed it against his jeans. 

“Any plans this weekend?” 

“I’m going to the flea market with Andi and Buffy on Saturday, but other than that not really. Why?” He asked, his heart beating fast.

“I was just wondering if you wanted to come see a movie with me.”

“Yeah, that would be fun.”

“Ok cool, I’ll text you the details later.” 

Cyrus stared at TJ’s retreating frame and felt a flutter in his chest. This would be the perfect opportunity to confess to TJ how he felt! The weekend couldn’t come quick enough.

.~.

Cyrus smoothed down his button down and looked around anxiously. He had had his mom drop him off twenty minutes before TJ had said to meet him there. His mom, while she meant well, was notoriously nosy, and now that she knew Cyrus was gay she would assume that this was a date. Which it wasn’t. At least, Cyrus didn’t think it was. 

“Underdog!”

Cyrus looked up and saw TJ walking toward him. He was wearing a zip up hoodie and jeans, with his hair perfectly coiffed. Cyrus felt his heart beating fast again. He hoped TJ couldn’t hear.

“You ready?”

Cyrus nodded, and they headed into the theater.

It was a good thing they both had arrived early, because a spirited debate about what movie to watch ensued. Cyrus was pulling for the rom com while TJ was (to Cyrus’s surprise) pulling for the latest Pixar flick. Cyrus finally won out, although he had a sneaking suspicion that TJ had given in a little too easily.

“Do you want popcorn?”

“Please, what’s a trip to the theater without popcorn?” 

They walked over to the concessions stand and ordered a large popcorn. Cyrus was reaching for his wallet when TJ held up a hand.

“I got it.” 

“Oh. Thanks.” Cyrus felt his face begin to flush. 

They walked to the theater, and picked out seats right in the middle. They settled in, and TJ immediately began shoveling popcorn into his mouth.

“Woah, save some for the movie!”

“Please, eating popcorn during the movie is loud and distracting. Why not do everyone a favor and just eat it beforehand?”

“That’s...actually a valid point,” Cyrus admitted, reaching his hand into the popcorn. 

Then his hand felt something that was distinctly not popcorn. He froze. His fingers were brushing against the back of TJ’s hand. His skin was so soft. 

TJ pulled his hand out, and popped another piece of popcorn in his mouth. Cyrus tried to relax. It was just a hand touch. An accident. It meant nothing. 

Cyrus tried to relax as TJ whispered commentary on every trailer to him. It was cute, just like everything else about TJ. As the movie started, Cyrus felt himself calm down a little. He just had to get through this movie. Hopefully by the end of it he’d be able to pluck up the courage to tell TJ how he felt about him. 

It was over halfway through the movie when Cyrus had an idea. It was an emotional scene. The lead had just been dumped by her love interest after he discovered her astrology sign wasn’t compatible. This really was a terrible movie. But it reminded him of the trick his dad had told him he had used on his mom on their first date. Although he knew now how well that had worked out...

Cyrus looked over at TJ, who seemed to be engrossed with the film. Although not in the way it was intended. TJ had been chuckling nonstop since the beginning of the movie. It was adorable.

Cyrus yawned and stretched his arms above his head. He slowly reached over, as if to place his arm behind TJ, when his arm bumped against something. Cyrus froze. And looked over and behind him. Where TJ had also stretched out his arm, as if to place it around Cyrus’s shoulders. 

Cyrus snatched his hand away and turned back toward the screen, grateful for the darkness of the theater. His face felt like fire. He couldn’t believe that TJ had just tried to pull the same move that he had. Cyrus cursed himself at the timing of it, but at the same time...it gave him a thrill to know that they were on the same wavelength after all.

Cyrus couldn’t focus on the rest of the movie. He could hardly wait til it was over so he could turn around and tell TJ that he was crazy about him. As the credits rolled and people filed out of the theater, Cyrus knew that it was now or never.

He got to his feet, and so did TJ.

“TJ I-“

“Cyrus-“

They both stopped. 

“You go first.” They said at the same time. 

“No you.” They both said.

“No, you first,” Cyrus said, not wanting to be rude. 

Besides, he was curious to see what TJ had to say.

“Cyrus- I- me- you- gay,” TJ stammered.

“Um-“

“You...go on date...with me?”

Cyrus felt his face redden. He couldn’t believe it. TJ...liked...him?!

“Yes.” 

TJ’s face broke into a grin. 

“R- really?”

“Yeah. I- I really like you TJ.”

Before Cyrus knew what was happening, TJ had leaned over and wrapped him up in a hug. Cyrus felt himself blush. There it was again. Ba bump ba bump ba bump. But for once he wasn’t the only one who felt it.


	3. FIRST KISS

Cyrus hadn’t known what to expect when TJ had asked him over to a sleepover. Maybe there would be some junk food, maybe a few movies, sleep would be involved. Cyrus had never been to a sleepover before, let alone one with the guy he was crushing on. But he found himself surprised by how...fun it was.

They were sitting cross legged on the couch, playing truth or dare. Their knees were so close that they would occasionally brush, sending a shiver down Cyrus’s spine. 

“Your turn.” 

“No, I just went!”

“Nuh uh!”

“Yes, I did. We just got sidetracked by talking about world records after you dared me to fill my mouth with jelly beans.”

“Ohhh right, my bad.” 

“So...truth or dare, Underdog.”

“Uh...truth.”

“That’s the third time in a row!”

“I did a dare!”

“Yeah, one dare, and we’ve been playing for over an hour!”

“Ok ok, next turn I’ll do a dare. But for now I’m going to do truth.”

“Fine. Um...would you rather burn to death or freeze to death?”

“That’s would you rather, not truth or dare.”

“Ok ok, then...what would be your preferred way of dying?”

“Beheading.”

“Explain...?”

“As long as the axe or guillotine is sharp, it’s quick and relatively painless, and it’ll be over quickly.”

“Huh. I’ll keep that in mind for when you outlive your usefulness.” 

“Ha ha ha.”

“Ok, now you do me.” 

“Ok. Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

Cyrus raised his eyebrow at him. TJ smiled. 

“I’m capable of surprises too.” 

Cyrus shifted. He knew this was the perfect opportunity to find out what he wanted to know, and he wasn’t going to waste it.

“So...who is your crush?” He asked, shifting his eyes to TJ’s.

Cyrus saw TJ’s face blanch. Then redden. Then turn a faint shade of green. 

“Er...you okay there?”

“Yeah...do you really want the truth?”

“Yes, that’s why it’s called truth or dare.”

“Ok, well- it’s you, Cyrus.”

Their eyes met again, and Cyrus saw the truth of it in TJ’s eyes. He felt his insides melt. 

“O- ok then. My turn.”

“Right.”

TJ shifted, avoiding Cyrus’s gaze.

“Cyrus, truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

“I dare you to tell me who your crush is on.”

“Do you really want to know?”

“Yes,” TJ rasped.

“It’s you, TJ.”

“Oh.”

They both smiled. Cyrus moved forward so his knees were fully touching TJ’s. 

“TJ, truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

“I dare you to kiss me,” Cyrus breathed.

TJ flushed. 

“O- okay.” 

He leaned forward, his lips moving closer and closer, until they were just a millimeter away. Cyrus could feel his breath hot on his mouth. His body thrummed with electricity. 

TJ pressed his lips to Cyrus’s. Cyrus felt his mind fill with fuzz. This was nothing like kissing Iris. This was better. So, so much better. TJ’s lips were soft and warm, and Cyrus felt himself leaning into TJ, his hands clenching the other boy’s T-shirt. 

TJ pulled away, but Cyrus kept his hold on his shirt. TJ smiled tentatively.

“Was- was that ok?” He asked.

Cyrus smiled. 

“That was more than ok.”

“Ok. Cyrus, truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

“I dare you to kiss me.”

Without hesitation Cyrus pulled TJ back into him for another kiss. He felt TJ’s hand curl into the hair on the back of his head, and smiled against the other boy’s mouth. Who knew that it would take a game or truth or dare for him to find out how TJ really felt?


	4. DOUBLE DATE

“Cyrus, it’ll be fine, I promise you,” TJ said, placing a hand of Cyrus’s shoulder.

Cyrus was still worried. Andi and Jonah had broken up months ago, and for a while it had made him hope that maybe something could happen between him and Jonah after all. Then Buffy had asked Jonah out, and now he was supposed to hang out with them, and TJ, like everything was normal. Which it was to everyone else, he supposed, but he still had this weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

They walked in The Spoon and found Buffy and Jonah already sitting at a booth near the front. They were arm wrestling (which Cyrus had quickly realized was just their excuse to hold hands) and he felt his stomach clench. 

Jonah looked up and waved at them, dimples on full display. TJ gently nudged Cyrus forward, and he slid into the booth. Right across from Jonah. 

“Hey guys,” Cyrus croaked.

Buffy shot him a look. 

“What’s up with you?”

“Nothing, just, um, dehydrated,” he improvised.

Buffy didn’t look convinced. 

“Ok, well I’m gonna go order. Want me to get you a drink?”

“I got it,” TJ said, standing back up.

“Oh. Ok.” 

Buffy gave Jonah a peck on the cheek then walked over to the counter, TJ hot on her heels. 

Cyrus resisted the urge to hide his face behind the menu.

“So...?” Jonah said, some sort of question in his voice.

“So.”

“How long have you and TJ been dating?”

Cyrus blinked.

“Wait, what?”

“You- you guys aren’t together?”

Cyrus looked away.

“No, that’s- ridiculous.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry then. It’s just Buffy-“

“What about her?”

“Well, she led me to believe that this was...a double date.”

Cyrus felt himself blanch. A...double date? He and...TJ? A couple? The thought had never even occurred to Cyrus. TJ was...great. More than great. It hadn’t taken long for Cyrus to consider him a friend. Then a close friend. Maybe a best friend. Maybe even-

“Voila!” Buffy reappeared with her and Jonah’s orders. 

Cyrus slumped forward in relief. He could feel himself beginning to sweat. This was not good. 

He nearly jumped out of his skin when TJ slid a basket of baby taters and a chocolate milkshake in front of him. Cyrus felt himself suddenly very aware of the other boy’s closeness as his arm brushed against him. And why had he never noticed how nice TJ smelled? It was almost a lemony scent. 

Cyrus buried his face into his baby tater basket. He was barely getting over Jonah and now he was noticing how- well, adorable- TJ was.

He tried to pay attention as Buffy and TJ exchanged banter, with Jonah occasionally chiming in. Cyrus tried not to speak much. He was afraid if he spoke that he’d throw up. 

Cyrus watched Jonah and Buffy and TJ have an arm wrestling tournament. He just wanted this double date, if that was what this was, to be over already. He had never felt so out of himself. 

“Jonah, go ahead without me. I need a word with Cyrus.”

“Ok babe, I’ll see you later.” 

They kissed, and Jonah exited The Spoon. Buffy stared at TJ, clearly signaling for him to leave, but his eyes were on Cyrus. If he didn’t know any better, Cyrus would say TJ looked- concerned.

“You okay, Underdog?”

“Yeah I- um, I think I ate too many baby taters.” 

“Ok. I guess I’ll see you later.” 

TJ left, and Buffy turned to Cyrus with a sigh.

“What was that?”

“What?”

“That. You looked nauseous for the majority of lunch. What’s gotten into you? You like me, you like Jonah, you really like TJ-“

“Stop, I’m going to puke.”

Buffy reached out across the table and grabbed his hand.

“Cyrus, it’s ok. When I first realized I liked Jonah, I felt like I was being eaten from the inside out. Not pretty. But, I came to accept that my feelings were perfectly normal. You will too.”

“How do you know that I like him?”

“Cyrus, I’m your best friend. You can’t hide anything from me.”

“I can’t believe I’m so stupid. Yet another unrequited crush. What is wrong with me?”

“Unrequited my ass,” Buffy snorted.

“What do you mean?” 

“TJ couldn’t keep his eyes off you the whole time. He’s clearly crazy about you, Cyrus.” 

Cyrus felt his heart drop. This couldn’t be true. TJ was so kind, and smart in spite of dyscalculia, and ridiculously funny, not to mention cute, not to mention popular. Why would TJ like him?

Buffy rolled her eyes.

“If you don’t believe me, go talk to him yourself.” 

Cyrus stood, and raced out of The Spoon.

“Oof.” 

Cyrus looked up. He had run straight into TJ’s chest. He stumbled back.

“Oh, um, hey, TJ.”

“Sorry for waiting out here, I just- I really wanted to make sure you were okay. I was- worried about you.”

“You were?” 

TJ scratched the back of his head.

“Yeah, I was,” he admitted.

Cyrus felt his heart swell. Not for the first time, maybe Buffy was right. 

“Hey, Cyrus- I don’t know if you’d ever want to, but I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me sometime. Like...a date.”

“But...didn’t we just go on one?”

TJ’s face turned red.

“I don’t know if it counts when you looked like you were about to hurl the whole time.”

“Ouch. Fair enough.” 

TJ held out his hand, an unasked question there, and Cyrus took it. Maybe they wouldn’t try to double date for a while.


	5. AU

“Loser!” TJ heard someone from the basketball team call from behind him as he struggled to pick up his books. 

Every time he thought his life couldn’t get worse, it found a way. For example...

“Kippen! A minute, if you will.” Mr. Coleman called. 

TJ sighed. He pushed up his glasses and followed his math teacher into the library. 

“I understand things didn’t exactly work out with your last tutor?”

TJ snorted. That was an understatement. Buffy Driscoll’s teaching style hadn’t exactly agreed with him. It wasn’t fun for TJ to be tutored by someone younger than him who also thought they were smarter than him. Just because she had beaten him at the spelling bee didn’t mean she knew everything. And just because TJ wasn’t good at math, it didn’t mean he didn’t know other subjects. Like history, or English, or science, or-

“So I found you a new tutor. This is Cyrus Goodman.”

TJ felt his mouth drop open. No. This couldn’t be real. Surely not Cyrus Goodman, a 7th grader who was already captain of the basketball team, a team that seemed to have it out for TJ. 

TJ was surprised to find the basketball captain staring at him, his dark brown eyes unreadable. Of all injustices, the guy had to be criminally attractive on top of everything else. 

“Oh, do you two know each other?” Coleman asked, looking between the two. 

“We’ve met before,” Cyrus clarified, earning a glare from TJ.

“Excellent. TJ, I think you’ll find Cyrus more than capable of of being your tutor. I’ll let you two get started.”

TJ stared after Coleman, wishing he could be out by the swings instead of stuck with his enemy’s best friend. 

“So,” Cyrus said, flipping open a textbook. 

After a moment, he looked up at TJ.

“You going to sit down?” 

TJ sat, and dug his nails into his head. This was going to be torture.

.~.

30 minutes into the tutoring session and TJ already wanted to die. He was no closer to understanding how algebra worked and every second he had to spend across from middle school sweetheart Cyrus Goodman made him nauseous. 

He heard a phone buzz, and he glanced across the table and saw Jonah Beck’s name flash up on Cyrus’s screen. 

“It’s your boyfriend,” TJ said.

Cyrus looked down, surprised. But he didn’t pick up.

“Well?”

“He’s ah, he’s not my boyfriend any more,” Cyrus said, shoving his phone in his backpack. 

“Why not? You two were just ‘docious magocious.’”

“It’s ah- it’s complicated.”

“Just like math then.”

Cyrus chuckled. TJ furrowed his brow.

“What’s your game here, Goodman? Why are you my tutor? You should know better than anyone what happened when Driscoll tried.”

“Yeah, I know. But-“

“But what?”

“I figured- I figured maybe I could really help you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Look, I- I know some guys on the team haven’t treated you great, but I’ve always-“

“That’s an understatement of the century. You have no idea what it’s like to be me.”

“Maybe I don’t, but I think I can help you.”

“Oh really? And why is that?”

Cyrus reached across the table and grabbed TJ’s hand. TJ looked down, stunned.

“Because I think this snarky bookish loner hung you’ve got going on is just a front.”

“Hey, you’re supposed to be my math tutor, not my life coach.” TJ mumbled, averting his gaze.

Cyrus was staring at him a little too intensely for his liking. He looked like an earnest puppy dog, one TJ no longer had the energy to kick. 

“Why would you even want to help me anyway?”

“Because I always thought there was more to you than what you showed the world. And-“

“And what?”

“And I- well, I always thought you were kind of cute,” Cyrus admitted, looking away.

TJ felt his jaw dropped as he stared at the pink dusting Cyrus’s cheeks.

“You’re joking.”

“No, I’m not. I’m sorry you’re not gay, but I-“

“Oh, I am gay.”

“Oh. Well then-“

“Did you really want to be my tutor just so you could ask me out?”

“No. But also, yes.” 

Now TJ felt himself begin to blush. 

“You plus me equals a date at The Spoon this Saturday?” Cyrus asked. 

“That- that might be some math I can get behind.”

“It’s a date.”


	6. ROAD TRIP

Cyrus poked his head out the window and resisted the urge to stick it his tongue.

“You know that makes me nervous, Underdog.”

Cyrus smiled against the wind, but pulled his head back inside the car and rolled up the window. He still couldn’t believe his parents had agreed to let him travel across the country with his boyfriend. It was the best graduation present Cyrus could have asked for. 

“Yes!” Cyrus exclaimed as Troye Sivan began to play through the speakers. He turned up the volume and sang every word. TJ joined in as they cruised down the highway, heading to the East Coast.

.~.

“Cyrus, I told you, only one.”

Cyrus made a pouty face and turned to put away the excess candy and snacks he had grabbed. TJ sighed.

“Okay, just one more.”

Cyrus grinned up at him and TJ felt his heart skip a beat. Cyrus still made his knees week, even after all these years. 

“Look, I got you Twizzlers. Your favorite.” 

TJ smiled. One day he was going to make this boy his husband. 

.~.

“ID?”

Cyrus watched as TJ handed his driver’s license over to the hotel clerk. He felt like they were committing a crime, even though renting a hotel room was something they could both legally do now. 

He still felt uneasy as the elevator took them up to their room. TJ opened the door and led them in. They were no strangers to being alone together, but it had never been this alone. 

His nervousness was for nothing. As they settled in to watch a movie, TJ’s arms wrapped around him, Cyrus realized that home was no longer a place for him. It was a person.


End file.
